Bachelor’s of Science in Biology

This is a general overview of the program of study. Students interested in details and requirements should go to the on line catalogue.

A Career in Biology

Purdue educated biologists function in many ways: as technicians, technologists, and scientists in industry, government, hospitals, and academic institutions; as teachers in high schools and community colleges; and, given additional talents and training, as science writers, editors, illustrators, and sales personnel in pharmaceutical, hospital, and scientific supply industries. Many graduates later earn a Master of Science or Ph.D. degree, preparing them for positions that involve teaching and research in universities or in industrial or medical laboratories. A basic education in biology is good preparation for advanced work in various aspects of applied pharmacy, agriculture, dentistry, medicine, genetic counseling, marine biology, optometry, veterinary medicine, behavioral sciences, biomedical and environmental engineering, forestry, and wildlife, range, and water management.

Biology Program Overview

The biological sciences are undergoing an extraordinary revolution, and the plans of study are formulated to give students a broad basis for comprehending the diverse nature of this field. Biology builds upon this knowledge and tries to understand the complex organization that gives rise to biological organizations and ultimately, to biological diversity. Our curriculum is designed so that this basic biological knowledge can readily be applied to critical practical problems in health and medicine, agriculture and the management of other renewable resources, and the nature of populations and their control.

The amount of information that is currently being discovered in the biological world is daunting, and we recognize that some students may want to focus within an area of specialization. Students begin our curriculum with a four-semester biology core. These courses provide a common knowledge base for all biology majors. The sequence begins with an overview of evolutionary, environmental, and organismal concepts, and then proceeds to examine relationships between development, structure, and function as adaptational mechanisms. The third and fourth semesters are concerned with cellular organization and function followed by genetic and molecular principles so important to modern biology.